Meret returns in goal and De Bruyne starts for Napoli at Juventus

Napoli will make two changes for Juventus away, and neither is a surprise. Meret returns in goal and De Bruyne starts. Kick-off is at 20:45 CET (19:45 UK, 14:45 ET) on Sunday 1 November at the Allianz Stadium.

Landucci had not wanted to say who would keep goal after Monza. Milinković-Savić made the most of the midweek game with a couple of important saves, but the pecking order stays the same, and the number 1 is back on Sunday. De Bruyne scored in the 67th minute at Monza. He is the player Napoli need in a game expected to be tight and tactical, because Juventus will give little space and he is the one who has to find it. The staff do not want to overhaul the side, only adjust it where needed so that there is more quality when the team has the ball.

Running the midfield without the metronome

The real problem is in midfield. Lobotka left Monza on crutches with his left ankle strapped. The club has not given a recovery time, and he should be counted out for Juventus. The options are Gilmour, or the Anguissa-McTominay pairing used against Roma with De Bruyne free between the lines, or Marianucci in front of the defence. Whichever is chosen, Napoli will go to Turin without the player who sets the tempo for the whole team.

Allegri will again watch from the stands as he serves the second game of a two-match ban, and Landucci will again take the bench. Monza was his eighth win as a stand-in, after seven wins and three defeats in his earlier spells. The two are preparing counter-moves aimed at Spalletti, including some new set-piece routines. Those details matter against a Juventus side coming off the 2-0 in Genoa, with three defeats in their first nine league games and talk of the sack around them. They are in a closed training camp at the Continassa until Sunday.

Starting De Bruyne is the right answer to those who have spent weeks asking Allegri for a less cautious Napoli. The second half at Monza showed what happens when the team takes the game on. But the problem has never only been in attack. Monza had 35% of the ball and still managed 12 shots, five of them on target, and Napoli have conceded 11 goals in nine league games.

The injury news for the defence is not good. Badiashile is out for at least a month and is aiming for the Sassuolo game on 29 November. Spinazzola should be back after the international break. There is hope for Favasuli but no certainty. More quality in midfield does not fix the back line.

The table is the main reason Sunday matters. Napoli are seventh on 14 points, level with Juventus, while Como are fourth on 20. Napoli are unbeaten in three, and a win at the Allianz Stadium would be the first real proof against a direct rival since the 3-3 with Roma.

There is no trip home afterwards. Capodichino, Naples' airport, is closed, so on Monday 2 November the squad will fly straight to Portugal from Caselle, Turin's airport. Porto are next at the Estádio do Dragão on Wednesday 4 November at 21:00 CET.